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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24859864">Maybe Even This Was Meant To Be</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CocktailMeetsThirsty/pseuds/CocktailMeetsThirsty'>CocktailMeetsThirsty</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto, One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action &amp; Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst, Awkward Romance, Character Death, Chopper is a good student and teacher, Conflict, Doll-like OC, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Healers, Heart Pirates - Freeform, Hikari Humors Luffy More Than She Should, Hurt/Comfort, Isekai, Jinchuuriki-centric, Luffy Being Luffy, Luffy Doesn't Know It's A Love Triangle, Luffy Is Slow, Luffy Is a Little Shit, Meant To Be, Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates, Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates As Family, Nami will fight any idiot who tries something with her precious new friend...eventually, Naruto Shippuden - Freeform, Oblivious crush, One Piece Universe, Parent Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks, Pervert Vinsmoke Sanji, Pirates, Protective Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates, Protective Roronoa Zoro, Protective Vinsmoke Sanji, Red Hair Pirates, Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji Bickering, Sarutobi - Freeform, Shinobi Princess, Shirohige Kaizoku-dan | Whitebeard Pirates, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Story Arc, Team as Family, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Trafalgar D. Water Law Needs a Hug, Why is the Rum Gone?, Worst Generation, inner animal, inner conflict, voices in your head, yonko</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:35:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,204</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24859864</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CocktailMeetsThirsty/pseuds/CocktailMeetsThirsty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Between attempting to come to terms with loss and new responsibility as the possibility of war looms closer and closer each passing day, Hikari Sarutobi has come to the conclusion that every breath is a blessing and each new adventure is a gift that should not go unappreciated. Of course, she had also assumed all said breaths and adventures would take place in a world of Shinobi and hidden villages. </p><p>But when she suddenly finds herself mysteriously summoned to a new world where she finds herself in the company of a Straw hatted rubber man calling himself her new Captain, an ambitious swordsman and a navigator with Beli in her eyes, it’s the instant start to an arduous odyssey.  </p><p>Hikari is determined to return to her own world, after all, Konoha, her clan and her comrades need her, if only the Straw Hat captain, his growing rambunctious crew and the friends they met along the way while navigating the high seas weren’t so good at burrowing into her heart.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Monkey D. Luffy &amp; Trafalgar D. Water Law/ Original Female Character(s), Monkey D. Luffy/Original Character(s), Monkey D. Luffy/Original Female Character(s), Nami (One Piece)/Original Character(s), Trafalgar D. Water Law/Original Character(s), Trafalgar D. Water Law/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Festival Turned Chaos</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>A festival in Konoha was something like a grand party. The kind that in the weeks leading up to it had people buzzing with anticipation and counting down the days even as they all worked hard at making this year better than the last. And it was certainly safe to say they never fell short of that particular goal. </p><p>This particular year, the villagers of Konoha had outdone themselves. It was a festival of colour, a bright display of unrestrained joy. Wherever you looked there were painted faces and masks along with stunning costumes of silk that were as bold as they were colourful. Even the streets had been filled with hundreds of lanterns and flickering candles that against the bright decorations only seemed to add to a genuine showcase of delight. </p><p>Even the air tasted like that of a festival as the smell of food stalls and sellers weaved through the crowds of skipping children and strolling adults, the sweet aromas clinging to the air like a mouthwatering perfume that complimented music that floated through the breeze. </p><p>“Found you!” An excited voice exclaimed and Hikari Sarutobi could only blink as an object was abruptly thrust in front of her, her gaze taking a moment to settle before flickering past the whole grilled squid on a stick to find her little brother beaming up at her. </p><p>The boy in question had swapped his usual attire of grey shorts, yellow shirt and that comically long blue scarf for a costume of bright red and an elaborate painted frog face that did nothing to dim his chipped tooth smile as he grinned up at his older sister expectantly, waiting for her to take the offered meal-on-the-go. </p><p>“So you did.” She mused, accepting his gift and watching as an even brighter smile shone out from his painted face. From out of the corner of her periportal vision she noticed his rambunctious squad members give him the thumbs up as they continued to munch away at a stall, practically devouring the grilled treats faster than the poor stall owner could prepare them. </p><p>“And here’s yours, big brother Naruto!” Konohamaru turned to the blonde-haired teenager beside her, eyes just about sparkling with stars as he took in the older male he had appointed his rival. A rival he admired so very much and clearly aspired to be like in every way he could. “I heard from the gate that you two got back a while ago so I raced all over to find you!” </p><p>She spared a look at the male at her side, heart softening when she found him already munching down the grilled treat and gesturing for the rest of the Ebisu squad to bring him more, a task they happily took on without any complaints. It was heartwarming to see how the boy who was once stood on the outside looking in now blended into the dynamics and festivities of the village. Especially when they were technically the odd ones out. </p><p>Having just returned from a long and strenuous mission with Sai, now an official member of Team 7, neither had had the time to change or participate in the costumes or the elaborate face paint, though she could definitely see it perking Naruto’s interest. In fact, had they not just about been shooed here after their debriefing with her great aunt, both might have preferred a quieter time to unwind. </p><p>They kept moving, weaving through the crowd of dancing and playful children, only stopping on the rare occasion as another food stall caught the Uzumaki male’s attention. By the time they had reached the outskirts of the village and begun climbing the hills to where people were readying more lanterns, her younger brother was already bouncing with excitement as Naruto finished recounting a rather ridiculous fight that had occurred on a bridge during their trip back. A bridge that no longer existed thanks to the fact that the Uzumaki male never did things halfway. </p><p>“Big bro, are you gonna race?” </p><p>Naruto paused in his quest of shovelling down his cup of steaming ramen, his stuffed cheeks making the whiskered boy look like a hamster as he slowly swallowed down the load of food. “What race?” </p><p>“You didn’t hear?” Konohamaru asked, rubbing at his face with a small fist and smearing what was once an elaborate showcase of face paint even more before eagerly gesturing at the foot of the hill where a large group had gathered. The crowd was made up of some familiar faces, most of their comrades in the centre of it, but it was largely ruled by the excited faces of young children. “That Kiba guy said he was gonna break his speed record today and then challenged everyone to a race for candy.” </p><p>She saw Naruto spare her a look and for a moment it seemed like he might muster some restraint, but this was a challenge and everyone here knew that Naruto Uzumaki simply didn’t back away from challenges. Especially when he in his mind every challenge helped him inch closer to his goal. </p><p>“I was waiting for this day.” He muttered almost cryptically, chucking the now empty cup at Konohamaru who yelped in surprise, before suddenly and unceremoniously falling into a stretch. “I’m finally gonna beat him in a face-to-face contest!” </p><p>She wasn’t surprised. Not in the slightest. Still, she couldn’t have fought the amused quirk to the corner of her lips even if she tried. “I don’t think Kiba even knows you already broke his speed record.” </p><p>The Uzumaki male grinned, obviously pleased with that little fact and already imagining the scene that would unfold once he reached the tree, regardless of the results. He cracked his knuckles, ocean blue eyes brimming with anticipation and masculine pride. “Which is gonna make beating him head-on even sweeter. Konohamaru! Let’s go.” </p><p>Naruto charged down the hill like a man on a mission and after an affectionate parting hug, that was more like a nuzzle into her side, her brother took off after his rival, cheering him on and undoubtedly egging on the competitiveness in the air among the older, more established Shinobi. It was almost sad how a race about candy would turn into an event about masculine pride. The poor kids gathering for the race didn’t know what they were getting into. </p><p>It took the Uzumaki boy roughly a few seconds to corner Kiba and even from her place on top of the hill, she recognized the familiar way in which he took to declaring both his challenge and intent to win. It was reminiscent of their time long ago during the Chunin Exam and it brought a nostalgic smile to her lips. No matter how much had occurred, how much he had changed and how much they had lost, that rambunctious, loud-mouthed boy ready to take on any challenge was still buried within him and it was good to see him surface every now and again. </p><p>“Naruto is as lively as ever.” A new voice noted and she glanced to the side to see Sai strolling closer, a green book clutched tightly to his chest, a bright contrast to the revealed stripe of pale, almost translucent-like skin showcased due to his high-collared midriff shirt. “I thought I might find him here.” </p><p>Dark eyes scanned the crowd below and she knew he was making mental notes of the interactions and socializing as best he could. The usually emotionless male had been making progress in reclaiming and retaining some emotion and by extent some resemblance of personality. Naturally, this was no easy feat. Time under Danzo and as a representative of Root made sure of that and evolving from that would not come overnight. For now, he was learning by trial and error. </p><p>“How’s your shoulder?” Hikari asked, brown-green cat-like eyes flickering down to the shoulder that had taken quite the hit when Naruto had gone about destroying the bridge on their way back. Sai had been an unfortunate bystander. Simply in the wrong place in the wrong time and Naruto had been quite sheepish to find out he had accidentally hurt their now official teammate. </p><p>He glanced down at his shoulder, shrugging as if to test the strain before giving her a reassuring smile that was already much less forced and fake than the one he had plastered on when he had first been pushed into their team. It was a testament to how far they had come since then. To how much their bonds had developed since he cut ties with his former master and opted to dedicate himself to Team 7. </p><p>Momentarily, their attention was pulled to below where a riled up Kiba seemed to be trying to get the rowdy crowd to line up accordingly, all the while keeping a watchful eye on Naruto who had undoubtedly gotten under his skin. </p><p>“I suppose I should go find a partner.” Sai remarked, only venturing to offer an explanation when she arched a brow in question. He held up the book in his hand and cracked it open, flipping through the pages in search of a specific section. “I read in this book that the right way to end a festival is in the throes of passion.” </p><p>Hikari just about choked, her eyes widening as she did a double-take at the sight of the cover of the book. A cover she might have recognized had she been paying attention. “Where did you get that?” </p><p>Sai glanced down at the book in question, completely unaware of the fact that his remark had thrown her off guard. “I ran into Kakashi on my way here. He was challenged by Might Guy and Rock Lee to take part in the race and so he asked me to hold onto it for him. I’ve been skimming through it. I have to say though, it represents human nature as much lewder than the other books I’ve read.” </p><p>A hint of annoyance made her twitch at the mention of her silver-haired friend and Sensei. Of course, the book was his and of course, he had managed to be pulled into another ridiculous contest with his own rival and said rival’s very own mini-me. “Sai, ignore that book. It was written by a perverted author who is a slave to the three prohibitions-” </p><p>Her words were cut off as a noise struck with magnitude louder than thunder. The kind of sound that echoed the destruction of the bridge hours before. Only now that sound was tearing through their village with an intensity the inhabitants had never experienced before. The ground seemed to shake, food stalls crumbling with the back and forth tug below as all around them people lost their footing and went crashing down. </p><p>New sounds filled the air. The sound of glass from nearby buildings shattering as terrified screams piled on top of frantic cries and calls as people began an immediate and panicked search for their loved ones.  </p><p>“What the hell is going on?” Hikari exclaimed, a curse escaping her lips as another rumble tore through the ground and sent her flying into Sai who steadied her. Her gaze snapped down below, feeling her own panic begin to claw at her when she failed to find that familiar head of blonde clad in orange that she had been hoping would in return reveal the location of her brother. A feat easier said than done with the way the frantic crowd went about trying to stampede to safety. </p><p>She could see that even in the chaos, high ranked Shinobi were trying to gain some control as they tried to gain stable high ground long enough to find a safe route for civilians and lead them towards it.  </p><p>“Maybe we should stop gaping like fish and get a move on here.” The new voice was filled with snark as a boy with a pure white fox mask and stark contrasting scarlet red hair appeared beside them seemingly from out of thin air. “If this hill caves, we’ll be part of the rubble that will go crushing all those people. Frankly, I don’t mind the bloody mess but I’d prefer it if we weren’t part of it.” </p><p>She turned to him, ready to give the order for him to go find her brother and assure he was safe and sound when a sickening crack sliced through the air. She could feel it, the sudden scorching wave of air gushing up from beneath them, a clear warning of what was to come. </p><p>What happened next would plague her mind for a long time to come. Would haunt her dreams and make her restless in ways she hadn’t thought possible. Because the moment her gaze finally collided with the blonde Uzumaki holding onto the small body of her brother was the exact moment the ground beneath them went splitting open. </p><p>“Hikari!” </p><p> </p><p>~*~*~*~*~*~ </p><p> </p><p>If she had ever believed in divine beings then those days were long gone. But if one did exist, then Nami was sure it must have a fairly twisted mind that took great pleasure in the misfortune of others. Why else had it let her cross paths with a grumbling swordsman and a loudmouthed rubber man who had declared her his navigator and didn’t seem to understand the meaning of rejection? Surely there had to be better people to take advantage of.</p><p>She didn’t know why she had agreed to both partner with them and let them tie their ridiculous excuse of a boat to hers. Frankly, the way these two seemed to attract danger was enough of a red flag and that was without the distasteful term of pirate souring up the deal even more. Maybe it was because she had caused trouble for them along the way as well. Trouble that had initially been more intentional and, had her conscience not intervened, perhaps even more likely to result in death. </p><p>Despite all she had done, the Straw Hat captain had saved her skin and even she could appreciate and recognize strength when she was witness to it. Somehow, the rubber man bore no ill will and for a reason, she couldn’t begin to express, she had found herself thinking that it was much better to align with the usually grinning boy than to be his enemy. Even if any partnership they had was just temporary. </p><p>But still, she thought she had weighed and properly considered all the trouble he might get himself, and in turn her, into. The possibilities and scenarios had been endless. And yet not in her wildest dreams had she imagined there would ever come a day in which lightning pierced the sky in a blinding light that left her struggling to see and that when it vanished it would have left a small figure where there once had been none. </p><p>She was vaguely aware of the Straw Hat captain in his own boat shouting his awe at the lightning and asking if a storm was on its way even as she slowly inched towards what appeared to be an unconscious girl clad in a white dress trimmed with black lace, silky brown curls flung about her face and concealing it from view. </p><p>Hesitantly she kneeled down, a single hand reaching for one small shoulder so she could attempt to turn the girl over when a voice so chilling it sent a shiver through her spine chose to speak up. </p><p>“Touch the Princess and it’ll be the last time you have two hands.” </p><p>It was the kind of threat that one didn’t need time to process. The kind that had you reeling back in wide-eyed fright and she did just that in time to find a boy with a pure white fox mask looming over her, a kunai brandished in threat even as he seemed to struggle to stay on his own two feet. </p><p>The distinct sound of a sword being unsheathed behind her gave the answer to the question she had been pondering over her just moments before. She had partnered with the idiots in the boat because the seas were dangerous and they at least seemed capable of holding their own in a fight. </p><p>“Do we have a problem here?” The swordsman demanded as rubber arms zipped past him, clinging to the navigator’s boat reelings before slingshotting past him and leaving him to follow after his new captain in but a few moments. The green-haired male assessed the situation within seconds, taking in the fox masked male and the bloody mess that seemed to be pooling at his side. Still, he didn’t drop his guard. Even wounded enemies could prove to be dangerous enemies. </p><p>The real concern, and the apparent reason why the fox masked male was on the defence, was the unconscious girl who hadn’t so much as stirred. It crossed his mind that she could be faking it, playing dead and waiting for a moment to strike. After all, he’d heard bandits and some pirates took quite the pleasure when it came to putting on an act. But they were in the middle of the ocean. Not another boat or soul in sight and whatever had brought and wounded the fox masked male, it was much more likely that it had affected the girl as well. </p><p>“Hey, let’s calm down here.” Nami broke the silence, doing her best to keep her voice soft as she held up her hands to show she meant no harm, mentally calculating the damage her boat and precious treasure would take if a fight was to break out in the small space. A risk leading to possible loss and damage she was not willing to take. “I just wanted to help. She...you both look like you need help.” </p><p>The fox masked male swayed on his feet, ringing in how true her words were. From the looks of it, he’d already lost quite a lot of blood and he probably wouldn’t be standing much longer either, but she had a feeling that if it came down to protecting the unconscious girl then this fox masked boy would push himself well and beyond his limits. </p><p>“It’s a girl.” </p><p>Several moments passed by as the overly obvious statement was uttered in a way that had them blinking. When he had gotten there they had no idea but Luffy had already taken to turning over the unconscious girl, features covered in blood as of result of a nasty looking gash on her forehead, and had opted start poking at her in hopes of getting some kind of reaction. </p><p>There was a curse as the fox masked male took in the state of her and this time when he swayed on his feet he barely even managed to catch himself on his knees. Dark eyes peered down the unconscious girl as he slowly dragged himself closer. </p><p>The Straw Hat captain eyed the male in full bloom curiosity even as his swordsman, who was obviously not over his suspicion and apparently nowhere near dropping his guard either, shuffled closer. “Hey, cool mask. Did you win it in a fight?” </p><p>Barely resisting the urge to smack the hell out of the oblivious rubber man, Nami knew an opportunity to close a deal when she saw one. When the girl’s state and wellbeing had been undetermined, the boy had been ready to fight to get to her. Now that the knowledge of injury and scent of more fresh blood clung to the air maybe he would be more receptive of receiving help and putting away any weapons that if brandished in threat again could lead to the treasure losing fight that worried her so. </p><p>“Hey, I really think you think you should let us help-” </p><p>“And what skills do you possess that would aid you in being of help to Princess Hikari?” The fox masked male had spat the words in a way that would usually have had her hackles rising and giving him the beating such attitude and tone usually earned from her. And she would have been glad to do so had it not been for that one word. </p><p>Princess. </p><p>This was the second time the fox masked male had uttered that word. That title. A title that usually came with riches, lands, castles and a kingly father figure that would be so grateful to anyone who saved his daughter that he would surely reward them with enough riches to last a lifetime. </p><p>Nami just about foamed at the mouth at the very thought. </p><p>She clasped her hands together, eager to make some kind of deal, mind racking through the list of medical supplies she had on board that could be of help to both the girl and, by extent, her greed, when a faint blue glow caught her eye. </p><p>It was coming from the unconscious Princess. Or, to be more precise, from the nasty gash on her forehead. Seconds seemed to tick by and then, right before their very eyes, the skin began to knit together until, finally, the glow subsided, leaving only the bloody mess and no sight of the wound that had caused it. </p><p>The fox masked male seemed to breathe a pain laced sigh of relief even as speechlessness floored through the swordsman and the navigator. A feat that was not shared by the Straw Hat captain in the slightest.  </p><p>Monkey D. Luffy grinned from ear to ear, delighted and childlike excitement just about vibrating through him as he uttered the words that would both change and seal the fates of everyone on board. </p><p>“She’s going to join my crew.” </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. None Of This Makes Sense</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A drained Hikari wakes and tries to make sense of their new surroundings and the conflicting energy that is unlike anything she's ever seen. One thing is for certain. They aren't in Konoha anymore.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the sound of aggravated arguing that that pierced her sleep. A back-and-forth hissing that would have had her lips tilting in amusement at the comical attempt at doing so in a hushed fashion had she had the energy to do so. </p>
<p>As it was, she was still floating in the comfortable yet drowsy haze that was that mid-point between unconsciousness and almost awake, her mind floating in limbo as it seemed to decide whether or not the arguing was worth making the leap that would rouse her completely. Her body, on the other hand, seemed to have made its own decision as it snuggled further into the soft and fluffy surroundings, clearly protesting any decision that involved leaving the comfort. </p>
<p>The arguing, however, did not cease. In fact, a resounding thud had sounded that was followed by a string of colourful curses that let her know that not only was it escalating, but that whoever was arguing was probably getting on each other’s nerves. </p>
<p>It was with some effort that she managed to force her heavy eyelids open, much to the immediate protest in the form of a sharp pounding pain in her head as bright, piercing light invaded her senses.  It was, perhaps, a blessing that her eyes had drifted shut once more before she could take in her surroundings, and by extent the arguing party. Clearly, her body had a reason for not wanting to face the music yet. </p>
<p>She was drained, that much was clear from the sudden stiffness that was coursing through her thanks to her consciousness and self-awareness slowly returning to her. It was no fun process, not with her mind just about slamming up mental stop signs, warning and cautioning her to take it slow. But then again, had she not been so drained, she might have been in the middle of getting lectured by an inner voice and so perhaps mental warnings were by far the lesser evil. A lesser evil she would only be able to appreciate for so much longer if the way the drowsy haze was beginning to lift was anything to go by. </p>
<p>Her mouth was unbelievably dry, a little fact she found out when she attempted to swallow only to be rewarded with a small, audible click of her tongue as it too seemed to search for any kind of moister that would give some kind relief from the sandpaper like state it was in. Along with returning self-awareness was the knowledge that her joints ached, that the piercing pain in her head was now a steady pounding and that there was a hollow ache in her stomach. </p>
<p>Sweet heaven, she really did feel like crap and what more, she definitely needed food. Food and a bottomless drink. A cold one that would soothe as much as it would relieve her. </p>
<p>She didn’t know whether or not to be grateful that, even though her body was doing a horrible job of waking up, her mind was finally stirring and piecing together the events that had unfolded when she was last awake. She hadn’t wanted an inner lecture but she sure hadn’t wanted to rewatch the scene of Naruto and her little brother gazing up at her, the horror of realization seeping into their already panicked eyes, as the earth literally crumbled away beneath her. And yet, that wasn’t even the worse part. No, that honour belonged to horrified cries of her name- </p>
<p>Grimacing, she tried to shake off the memories, ignoring the screaming protest in her joints and the quiver to her muscles as she slowly pushed herself to sit upright. There was further protest from inside her, her body promising that the aching was only the tip of the iceberg and that should she get up to soon, she would probably regret it. But she was nothing if not stubborn, or a realist for that matter, and so she knew nothing would come about from delaying the inventible. Sad as it was. </p>
<p>Even with her senses still not quite up to speed and with squinting eyes, she was able to note that the light inside the room wasn’t so bright after all. It was dim, the kind of light that streamed through whatever little cracks it could in the small, almost wooden cabin-like room. A room she couldn’t say she was familiar with whatsoever, but she had to give it to the owner; they clearly knew a thing or two about the comfort of a good bed and good pillows. </p>
<p>She might have given the room more of a complete once over, the kind that would have gotten her a bit more comfortable and familiar with her surroundings, had she not zeroed in on the sources for all that back-and-forth hissing. And this time the corner of her lips did quirk in amusement. </p>
<p>The familiar sight that was the scarlet haired boy in the ever-present white fox mask was a comforting one, especially since he’d been part of one of the last exchanges she’d had before everything went crumbling around them. And right then, he was arguing with a girl about the technique required for properly wrapping bandages and so things couldn’t be too bad. The boy was known for responding to stressful situations with violence, a bad habit he would probably never shed, but his body language didn’t seem stressed. There was no telltale sign that the girl was in any danger from him lashing out. In fact, she could have sworn that he was enjoying himself. Which seemed impossible because he certainly wasn’t known for enjoying human interaction. </p>
<p>She studied the profile of the unfamiliar girl, wracking her brain to place her face among the many people she had encountered over the years and coming up blank. The girl was pretty, exceptionally so, with short, neatly cropped orange hair, clad in a complimenting orange mini-skirt and a casual blue and white shirt. She seemed to be a few years older with a slim figure and average height that, even sitting down, Hikari was able to deduce still made the girl considerably taller than her. </p>
<p>The girl turned with a parting growl, that sounded vaguely like the beginning of another threat that promised pain, only to falter mid-step as her widening brown eyes took in the now awake figure sitting up on the bed. Her lips parted and for a moment she seemed like she was unsure about how to approach, never even mind how to break the new silence that had fallen around them. </p>
<p>“You’re awake.” The masked male noted in that usually deceptively playful voice. A voice that appeared to be laced with genuine amusement that was undoubtedly a credit to the orange-haired girl. “If I got a raise every time you made me worry, I’d have a fortune by now.” </p>
<p>That was a straight-up lie, though she made no attempt to call him on it. Just like he had no name, the fox masked boy wasn’t quite capable of emotions like caring. At least not in the normal sense of the word. It simply wasn’t how he was wired, something years of horrendous and torturous moulding had ensured. He was capable of what he had been wired to be capable of. What his experiences had moulded him to be. An act that was supposedly for the greater good. After all, Danzo Shimura did so like spouting poetry for all that others might disapprove of as he sought to create soldiers that were good and obedient little weapons. </p>
<p>Instead, she kept her gaze on the orange-haired girl, who, upon noticing that the attention was back on her, seemed to snap out of her own daze and boldly sauntered over to the bed, a clear glass filled with water in her hand.  </p>
<p>“You’ve been asleep for a while now.” The orange-haired girl remarked, offering her the glass with a genuine smile. A smile that dropped from her face for but a moment in order to shoot the fox masked male a warning glare when he happened to shuffle a little too close for her liking. “I thought some water might be handy to have nearby for when you finally woke up.” </p>
<p>Hikari accepted the glass gratefully, clearing at her dry throat before taking a much-needed sip from the glass. If she wasn’t sure it would have hurt, she might have moaned at the instant relief provided by the cold liquid. “Thank you...” </p>
<p>“Nami.” The orange-haired girl provided easily only to blink as a look of realization seemed to seep into her eyes and suddenly the bold girl seemed entirely too sheepish. “Princess...uh, Your Highness?” </p>
<p>Knowing now what had brought about the sudden uncertainty, understanding flooded through her. After all, there had been a time when such titles were the bane of her own existence. She did her best to offer a smile that was both reassuring and casual, reminding herself that sometimes it was the smallest of gestures that managed to put people at ease. “Please, just call me Hikari.” </p>
<p>The answer and the informal way it had been delivered seemed to both please and set the orange-haired girl at ease, giving Hikari the alright to go ahead and to quench her thirst now that a much less awkward atmosphere clung to the air. She couldn’t go as far as to say guards had been dropped, then again this was their first real exchange but, even if it hadn’t been, she had a feeling that the orange-haired girl was much more guarded and complex than met the eye. </p>
<p>As the princess sipped tentatively at the cold drink, Nami happily took this opportunity to study the now awake girl. She was small. Tiny. With doll-like features, fair skin and waist-length chocolate brown hair from which two silvery and very soft looking cat ears appeared, a feature she could only guess were realistic-looking hair clips.  It was, however, the pair of brown-green cat-like eyes that happened to be her most striking feature. They flicked about the room, taking it in and occasionally meeting her gaze, bold and oh so very unapologetic. The navigator hadn’t ever met a princess, in fact, she hadn’t even thought that she ever would, but she was pretty sure that girl sat in her bed was the exact image the authors in all the books she had read had tried to paint when they wrote tales of faraway lands and the beautiful princesses that ruled there. </p>
<p>“Are you hungry?” The navigator asked when the glass was finally empty, eager to avoid any more awkward silences. Besides, flowing conversation helped you get to know people in the long run. Their habits, their preferences and, most importantly, personal information that could or could not aid someone should they want to assess a person’s value. If she was lucky, she might just work the conversation towards the topic of kings and fortunes.  </p>
<p>“I don’t have much with me right now, but I’m sure I could whip you up something easy.” </p>
<p>“Careful, Princess.” The scarlet haired male snickered from behind his fox mask as he rather unceremoniously joined the navigator at the bedside, obviously standing much too close for her liking if the immediate glare he was met with was anything to go by. “Peaches here is no whiz in the cooking department. Though, I’m sure she’ll put in her best effort. After all, you have to put your best foot forward, don’t you, Peaches?” </p>
<p>The orange-haired girl’s glare turned downright icy. A lesser man might have buckled under that downright intimidating. But the fox masked male did so live for the thrill of danger. </p>
<p>“I told you not to call me that!” </p>
<p> He shrugged at her; demeanour full of nonchalance though no one could doubt that underneath that mask was a grin filled with mischievous delight. “It’s not my fault you smell so good. Really, you should be proud I haven’t asked for a sample yet. But hey, since we’re on the topic-” </p>
<p>There was a growl as the navigator shoved past him, the dig of her elbow into his side undoubtedly intentional, and then she was stalking out of the room, grumbling all the way out about how she was going to throw him overboard. She did, however, pause long enough at door to return to her original topic of promised food though, comically speaking, it seemed like she was making a point to only address the female in her bed. And then she was gone, feet stomping away and uttering, what was probably more threats, underneath her breath. </p>
<p>“What was that about?” Hikari arched a brow at the fox masked whose gaze was still trained on the door as she took in the relaxed state to his body. Something that was strange all by itself. As a rule, the boy was always on edge and the smallest of things were capable of setting him off and yet, somehow, he seemed more centred than she had ever witnessed before. </p>
<p>He turned away from the door, pocketing his hands as he swivelled his body and flopped down to sit beside her. “When we first met, I threatened her with a kunai. Then we argued about her nursing skills. She hit me with a med-kit. I think it’s love.” </p>
<p>Chuckling at his antics, she held out a hand towards him, only venturing to explain what she wanted when he merely titled his head in question. “Help me up. I need some fresh air but my body is so drained that I feel like I might crumble once I put some weight on my legs.” </p>
<p>Ignoring her extended hand, he opted instead to tuck his hands into the crooks of her arms before standing up and cleanly lifting her from the bed. He snickered at the dry look she gave him even as he deposited her on the wooden floor. </p>
<p>With her feet now planted firmly on the wooden floor, she was able to feel a steady back and forth rocking beneath her that told her that they weren’t currently on steady or stable grounds. Something that was further confirmed when the fox masked boy started leading her outside where she was met with a distinct salty breeze that nuzzled at her cheeks and played with her hair, carrying the whisper and crash of waves even before the sight of brilliant blue waters came into view. </p>
<p>Brown-green eyes took in the great expanse of brilliant blue waters that stretched in every direction of the horizon, not a single glimpse of land in sight. The small yet reasonable sized boat bobbed in the waves, the mercy of the wind aiding it in its journey. It was a calming scene, the kind she could have enjoyed had there not been one alarming fact echoing through her mind. </p>
<p>This was not Konoha nor did it appear to be anywhere near the hidden village that she called her home. Either she had been asleep much longer than she had initially thought or things were even more complicated than she would have guessed. Still, there was no explanation she could think of for why she would be out at sea, with no member of her squad or her little brother in sight. Much less after the unexplainable quake that had struck the village and had undoubtedly destroyed quite a lot, if only going by what little of destruction she could recall. </p>
<p>“Where are we?” She asked, turning to the fox masked male for answers just as he slumped down on the boat reeling beside her, his head resting on the reeling and his arms hanging aimlessly over the edge. </p>
<p>“I was hoping you could tell me.” He muttered, head tilting to regard her curiously. “Don’t you have some kind of homing instinct? Didn’t you, like, mark the Sarutobi compound as your own or something? Apparently, animals have instincts like that.” </p>
<p>“I’m not a damn house pet, you moron.”  She gave him a look that was as dry as it was unimpressed, rolling her eyes when he only snickered in reply. She cast her gaze back to their surroundings and took a deep and steady breath as she tried to make sense of the confusing energy around them crisscrossing in ways that seemed impossible. “None of this is making sense.” </p>
<p>There had been a time when she hadn’t enjoyed her time training at Mount Azumaya, the beasts of legend were a tricky bunch and they spoke in riddles that had often gotten on her nerves. They also tended to test her patience or lack thereof for that matter. But if there was one thing, she was grateful for being able to learn during her time there then it was the fact that the world and all its living inhabitants was made up of energy. Energy that had all kinds of different uses just waiting for someone to tap into. </p>
<p>One such use was the ability to read the constantly changing dynamic entity that was distributed all along the crust of the world. A hand ability that would usually help one read the emitted energy, that was vastly influenced by natural forces like the sun, the moon and even mass bodies of water, and in turn, be guided by said energy during travel. </p>
<p>It was clear, however, from only a mere assessment of the energy emitting around them that this was unlike anything she had ever seen before. From all around them, grey lines pulsating with both positive and negative attributes just about sang to her, effectively clouding whatever guidance she might have received. Even the very magnetic field seemed to vibrate in completely different frequencies than what she was used to, confusing her even more. </p>
<p>Wherever they were, it sure wasn’t a place or atmosphere she knew or could guide them out of, that much was clear. </p>
<p>There was a terribly drawn-out sigh from beside her as the fox masked male straightened up, his boredom just about radiating off of him in waves. “Well, then we have a problem here. Cause I’ve tried subtly running key words like shinobi and the Hidden Leaf by Peaches and there just isn’t any kind of reaction. Heck, I even tried to talk about Hokage. She just ends up looking like at me like I must have hit my head.” </p>
<p>Hikari hummed, processing the new and troubling information that solidified what she was already beginning to guess. But still, she couldn’t be entirely sure unless there was concrete proof that couldn’t be turned away. “What do you remember before all of this?” </p>
<p>“I remember the village being an absolute wreck.” He muttered, cracking his head from side-to-side to release his body of any small tension building as he recalled the chaos. “Then the bloody ground went crumbling away. Saw you hit your head, got you real good too. Oh, and I saw Sai diving for you but then there was this bright light and when I came to, we were already on this boat.” </p>
<p>“We need to figure this out.” The Sarutobi heiress sighed, running a hand through her hair when she felt the start of frustration beginning to build. She willed it to subside, knowing full well it wouldn’t do them any good if her emotions got the best of her. “And fast. We have no clue what state the village is in - if it's still there at all.” </p>
<p>He made a sound of agreement. One that was undeniable distracted and with a glance over her shoulder she was able to deem that it was because of the soft sound of humming coming from somewhere on the boat. She parted her lips, ready to tell him to leave the girl be before she really did chuck him off the boat but he was already striding away. </p>
<p>Really, he was like a damn dog with a bone. Only this bone would probably murder him if he continued to annoy it. </p>
<p>Left to her own thoughts, she contemplated on what to do next. Obviously getting some idea of exactly where they had ended up was the most important question that needed answering. From there she could probably start working on a plan that would get them home- </p>
<p>Ears twitching, her head tilted toward the end of the boat as a resounding splash filled the air followed by a jovial and childlike exclamation of triumph. With new curiosity blooming inside her, she edged towards the rear end of the boat, her gaze immediately landing on the source of all the excitement. </p>
<p>There she found a smaller, much less stable, boat drifting along lazily, courtesy of the rope tied off to the orange-haired girl’s boat. It was, however, not the pitiful looking boat that brought a smile of amusement to her lips. Instead that honour belonged to a straw hat-wearing boy wrestling enthusiastically with a rebellious looking fish, much to the obvious exasperation of his green-haired companion. </p>
<p>Her giggle escaped her, floating down to the rambunctious males below who instantly froze at the new, much less intimidating sound than what would have come barreling down at them had their unwilling ally appeared to tell them to stop making a ruckus. </p>
<p>Sensing an opening, the fish swivelled around and delivered a resounding smack of its tailfin against the straw hat boy’s face, leaving a nasty red mark on his cheek, before leaping overboard and swimming off to safety. Had he been paying attention, the boy might have pouted at his meal escaping, but he was already blinking up the girl, who when last he’d seen her had been unconscious, now peering down at them from his navigator’s boat. </p>
<p>He grinned, the smile spreading across his features in a showcase of true excitement as his hands flew out, grabbed onto the boat reelings and slingshotted himself onboard within moments. And there he sat, much closer than some people would get upon their first real meeting, seemingly not bothered at all that he was practically right up in her face or that he was, at the moment, but a breath away. </p>
<p>“You’re awake!” The boy cheered, the smile never dropping from his face. A smile that was as genuine as the warm eyes that sparkled with unrestrained excitement as he finally leaned back just enough to take her in.  “You took forever. But that’s okay cause Nami said you'd be tired cause you missed meals. That's why Zoro and I have been fishing!” </p>
<p>In truth, the navigator had dragged him out by his ear when he had suggested that perhaps a bucket of ice-cold seawater would help wake up his new crewmate. A suggestion that had been made in his impatience to meet her but had been fiercly shot down and he wasn’t too sure, but he may have been kicked off the boat too. But maybe Nami had just shoved him overboard because she wanted him to get back to fishing. An empty stomach made people do weird things. </p>
<p>But his new crewmate was awake and right now she was standing in front of him and so there was no more time to waste. After all, he had a feeling that with her around, adventure was going to be grand. </p>
<p>“My name is Luffy and I’m the man who will be King of the Pirates!” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello, sweethearts!</p>
<p>This chapter briefly mentions Mount Azumaya, a sacred place Hikari spent time training during the time skip in Naruto. There will be further detail that is more extensive and informative moving forward in other chapters.</p>
<p>I hope everyone is staying safe and sane in these troubling times &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. That Cool Blue Light</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hikari and her companions are finally able to put a name to all the faces. Luffy gets mystified by the cool blue light and he knows he made the right call.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In her own personal experience, pirates were a breed made up of cruel and uncaring individuals all brought together by their own greed and violent nature. She had stopped counting the number of times she had been sent off on missions to the Land of Lightning, only to discover pirate crews along the way who had taken over </span>
  <span>peaceful</span>
  <span> islands and </span>
  <span>massacred</span>
  <span> most of its inhabitants, all just because they could.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her experience with the captains of these crews was no better. One needed to be a special kind of wicked to be able to take charge of a ship made up of vicious criminals. One didn’t show weakness. Not to animals who thought themselves above human decency and even the basic concept of right and as such, these captains were often the hardest and most twisted individuals one could encounter on the sea. They ruled with fear, no compassion and, from what she’d seen, had no qualms attacking their own crewmates as punishment or if boredom befell them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Monkey D. Luffy wasn’t just unlike any pirate she had ever </span>
  <span>encountered;</span>
  <span> he defied the very standard </span>
  <span>definition of the word.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was young, probably no older than seventeen and, as such, among their new companions, he was probably the closest in age to </span>
  <span>her.</span>
  <span> Though judging from the almost childlike wonder shimmering in his dark eyes as he regarded her, she suspected that mentally, at least, they had perhaps more than just a year that </span>
  <span>separated</span>
  <span> them. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a boyish charm to him, complimented and perfectly accented by his shaggy black hair, his slim but muscular build and the seemingly </span>
  <span>ever-present</span>
  <span> grin that stretched across his face. Even his attire, consisting of a sleeveless red vest, short blue trousers with cuffs, sandals and what appeared to be a very treasured straw hat, gave off the vibe of someone who was very carefree. The kind of someone who wasn’t weighed down by prejudice, </span>
  <span>societal</span>
  <span> expectations or the opinions of others. The kind of someone who could drift from adventure to adventure, always eager for a thrill and never hindered by the dangers of what said thrill-seeking could lead to.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brimming underneath the surface, however, told her that as genuine as his excitement and carefree attitude seemed to be, there was probably more to this </span>
  <span>straw hat-wearing</span>
  <span> boy than met the eye. She had found that these were often the kind of people you should avoid making an enemy of. They tended to be unpredictable. Often because the singular image crafted around them had a tendency to make people underestimate them. And have mercy on who or whatever harmed those who these kinds of carefree people took to or considered precious. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>That alone was enough to intrigue her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was, however, the look in his eyes as he declared his ambitions that sparked something within her. It was a familiar look. The kind that she’d seen time and time again reflected in ambitious blue eyes that aimed not just for the position of </span>
  <span>Hokage</span>
  <span> but to surpass all who came before. And somehow it had sparked the exact same familiar sensation. A sensation almost like a tingle that coursed through her, told her to stand up straight and take these words as a promise set in stone. Only Naruto Uzumaki had ever stirred such feeling within her. Until now.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whoever Monkey D. Luffy was, he was someone who had the same kind of mysterious power to draw people to him. The kind of someone who was most likely going to become very important to this world.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pirate King?” She echoed, head </span>
  <span>tilting</span>
  <span> curiously at the unfamiliar title. She parted her lips, ready to ask him to elaborate when he was suddenly hoisted away from her by the scruff off his red vest.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Geez, Luffy.” His green-haired companion grumbled as he deposited his captain on the deck of the navigator’s boat. “Standing that close is just looking for trouble. Nami said that if we caused a fight with that fox guy again, she’d skin us alive.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unruffled and not </span>
  <span>deterred</span>
  <span> in the slightest, Luffy gave a delightfully gleeful chortle as he grasped onto the edge of his straw hat as a particularly strong breeze </span>
  <span>rustled</span>
  <span> through them. “Nami wouldn’t really skin us alive, Zoro.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The look his green-haired companion gave him said that his captain was a fool for thinking so, though he made no move to voice said opinion. Arguing with an individual as naïve and stubborn as the straw hat-wearing boy was not just pointless, but something he was entirely too sober to even attempt. Though, even drunk he probably wouldn’t care enough to try.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Opting instead to return his attention to the doll-like girl curiously observing their exchange, he slowly assessed her. She had regained a lively tone to her skin that had been absent when she had been </span>
  <span>unconscious and she also happened to be scar and injury-free. A miraculous action he had seen unfold right in front of his eyes and still hadn’t been able to believe. And yet, here she was, up and about and watching them with brown-green eyes that he could have sworn had sparkled with interest during her brief close up exchange with his captain.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She appeared to be much less of a threat than her fox masked companion who had made quite the first impression, threats and weapons galore. But he wasn’t secure enough in that assessment to drop his guard. Not even as his mind told him something that small and dainty couldn’t possibly do any harm. There was just an air to her that told him that, just like the sea carrying them across the horizon, that calm, almost whimsical atmosphere to her could probably become a dark and unforgiving storm in but the blink of the eye.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look like you’re doing better.” It was as much a statement as it was a remark, made much more obvious by the way his gaze slid over her, looking for any sign of fatigue or even a hint of soreness. If he was at all baffled, his expression didn’t show it. “The names Roronoa Zoro.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Roronoa</span>
  
  <span>Zoro</span>
  <span>, with his three swords bundled up with a green </span>
  <span>haramaki</span>
  <span> over his right hip, looked more like the kind of person who would fit the poster image of a handsome outlaw than the boy he now called his captain, even if only slightly more. He was muscular with cropped green hair and clad in black trousers tucked inside black boots and a plain white shirt, three identical earrings on his left earlobe glinting in the sunlight. What was revealed of his skin showcased a canvas of scars that had probably been amassed over the years. Trophies from battles that he had no shame in showing. No, these were things of pride. A showcase that hinted not just at what he had endured in life but at what he survived to get to this point. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the way his right hand hovered near his swords that told her, that even subconsciously, the green-haired male was always ready for a fight. In fact, she’d go so far as to hinder a guess that he was the type who went looking for it. The kind of person who lived for it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>What a dangerous combination it made this green-haired swordsman and his captain. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Hikari</span>
  
  <span>Sarutobi</span>
  <span>.” She supplied in return, offering them both a smile just as footsteps sounded behind them. Glancing over her shoulder, she found Nami sauntering towards them with a plate in hand, the annoyed twitch to her features no doubt because of the fox masked trailing after her like a </span>
  <span>mischievous</span>
  <span> puppy who had been told to stay put and obviously didn’t care to obey.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The orange-haired girl glowered at her two allies, as unimpressed by their presence as she was by that of the fox masked, who she was seconds away from chucking overboard. “Why are you two idiots up here again? I told you to make yourselves useful and catch some fish. If you’re standing around, then you better have caught at least a dozen by now.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zoro</span>
  <span> cast the navigator a dry look, his arms folding across his chest in a way that screamed deviance. “Calm down, will you. We were just getting </span>
  <span>acquainted. I think we can all put a name to the face now. All except for...”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He drifted off, allowing his sentence to hang in the air like a heavy demand as his gaze slid over to the fox mask-wearing boy. Nothing in his gaze was posed as a friendly offer. He wanted an answer and he clearly expected to </span>
  <span>receive</span>
  <span> it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Explaining the twisted mystery that was the fox masked male was no easy task and was by no means a can of worms that Hikari, in particular, wanted to open, least of all in the presence of what was still strangers. The decision to change or at least swerve around the topic was a swift one.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He isn’t-”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can just call me </span>
  <span>Shugo</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She blinked, her head snapping up to regard him with furrowed brows, unable to hide her surprise. The only names the boy had ever possessed has been those given to him on undercover missions that required a carefully made-up backstory. And </span>
  <span>of course,</span>
  <span> he had no qualms about revisiting a name on a mission that had been as traumatic as it had been bloody. Really, she shouldn’t even have been surprised. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>His gaze flitted down to meet hers, completely and utterly amused by the unimpressed look on her face. She felt the urge to slap him and as the distinct sound of a smack filled the air, for a moment she thought she might have. Blinking, she glanced back just in time to see stretched out arms retracting as a glowering Nami shielded the plate of sandwiches from a now pouting Luffy.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“These aren’t for you!” She snapped, handing off the plate to the fox masked boy, with a look that promised pain if he so much as let the rubber man anywhere near it, for safekeeping. “I told you. If you want something to eat then you better catch some fish.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The straw hat-wearing boy pouted, face scrunching up in a way that reminded </span>
  <span>Hikari</span>
  <span> terribly of the expression her little brother used to make when he was denied something. “Aw, Nami! Come on, I’m hungry! How am I supposed to catch fish on an empty stomach? Come on, just a little snack.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>His whining fell on deaf ears. No amount of pouting or begging seemed to tug on the strings of orange-haired girl’s heart either. In fact, it seemed like all it was doing was serving to annoy her even more. “This is all I have left because of your last snack time! Now get off my boat before I throw your rubber behind overboard and use you as bait!”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zoro</span>
  <span> shook his head at his captain. “It’s no use, Luffy. Small Time over here doesn’t have a heart to appeal to-”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The orange-haired girl closed the distance between them in but a fraction of a second before delivering resounding blows to the head of the swordsman and the still whining captain. The bumps that sprouted from their heads were painful to look at.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Small Time, huh?” She repeated in a way that sent shivers up the green-haired swordsman’s spine. “Fine. I’ll give you food. You’ll have to work up the debt you rack up-”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her words, or threat for that matter, were drowned out by a sudden groan as the fox masked hissed out a sound that was laced in pain. Turning, they discovered the male in the middle of a stare-off with an unimpressed looking </span>
  <span>Hikari</span>
  <span>, who appeared to be putting pressure on the wound at his side. Though, judging from the </span>
  <span>number</span>
  <span> of curses filling the air, it obviously wasn’t being done out of concern. It seemed more like she was daring him to lie and say the wound was nothing to worry about.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The navigator had done what she could and though him insulting her nursing skills had ruffled her feathers, even she knew that she didn’t quite possess the knowledge of injuries and how to treat them. She did, however, know that wounds that seeped blood like even after attempts at patching it up, probably wasn’t a good sign.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Giving an exasperated sigh, the doll-like girl levelled him with a glare that said she would not tolerate any objections or rebellion. “Take off your shirt.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fox masked boy made a sound that started in protest and ended in pain laced hissing when </span>
  <span>Hikari</span>
  
  <span>noticeably</span>
  <span> seemed to dig her fingers into his side, a clear but silent warning that things could be done the easy way or the hard way. Then she </span>
  <span>retracted</span>
  <span> her hand waiting patiently for the grumbling boy to pull off his shirt, an act which when complied with was obviously done in reluctance.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The doll-like princess obviously wasn’t </span>
  <span>squeamish, that much had been hinted at when she hadn’t had any qualms about digging into his wound to get him to comply. It was, however, made much clearer when the small, palm-sized wound was revealed and she simply crouched down to be eye level with it, brown-green orbs assessing and </span>
  <span>analyzing.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve had worse.” She mused, inspecting the shallow wound embedded in his side, though whether or not these words were supposed to be comforting was unknown. Her gaze flickered up, levelling him with a stare that seemed to be </span>
  <span>reprimanding</span>
  <span>. “We’ve been over this so many times. Either you stay off your feet and heal naturally or you swallow your pride and you ask me for help. You managed to do neither. Again.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head, attempting to shuffle away from her and one, tiny raised hand hovering over his wound. “Don’t. We still don’t know what kind of situation we’re in. The last thing we need is for you to be drained-”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She ignored him, rolling her eyes and muttering under her breath about annoying male egos before covering the wound with her hand. A moment passed and then, a similar blue glow as they’d seen before seemed to </span>
  <span>emanate</span>
  <span> from her hand. It pulsed for several moments before subsiding and when she pulled back her hand it was to reveal scarred but unwounded skin smeared in blood.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>From behind her, gasps of surprise and a singular exclamation of childlike wonder sounded. She might have smiled. Might have felt relieved to know her companion was now healed and would no longer be hindered by a scar, but here she was; frowning. The sight of the palm-sized scar, raised against the boy’s skin didn’t please her. It wasn’t a sight she was used to seeing after a moment of healing.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something wrong?” The fox masked boy prompted, moving back and allowing her hand to fall to her side. He craned his head to eye the wound, looking for anything alarming that might have brought about her frown and coming up blank.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s a scar.” She said simply, voice laced with a mixture of confusion and displeasure. Her hand drifted up again and drifted bloody finger over the scar as if to make sure it was really there. “My energy...it’s not how my healing usually works.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He offered her a shrug, clearly not seeing the problem in something as simple as a scar. It was, after all, much better than a wound causing strain and hindering him. “You’ve been spending too much time with Naruto. Us normal folk don’t heal the way you two-”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So cool!” An excited cry filled the air and moments later Luffy had </span>
  <span>slingshotted</span>
  <span> himself closer, getting close and personal with the scar, dark eyes sparkling wonder. He poked and prodded, clearly not one who was bothered by blood or personal boundaries for that matter. “Are you a doctor? Did you eat a Devil Fruit too?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doctor?” </span>
  <span>Hikari</span>
  <span> echoed, confusion flitting through her regarding his second question even as she shook her head in denial at his first. She raised her bloody hand as if to say it was all contained within it. “Not at all. It’s complicated, but it just kind of comes naturally. But there’s a limit to what I can do, I can’t heal you from sickness and even some wounds are trickier than others-”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She blinked as a grinning face rounded on her, invading yet another personal boundary as Luffy all but bounced with uncontained excitement. “Can you do it again?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hikari</span>
  <span> couldn’t have stopped the amused tilt to the corner of her lips even if she tried. She tilted her head, taking in his childlike wonder and </span>
  <span>marvelling at the </span>
  <span>pure and</span>
  <span> genuine innocence behind it. “Why? Are you hurt?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment the question seemed to throw him and he stared back at her, </span>
  <span>visibly</span>
  <span> deflating as the realization that an injury was needed in order for the action to be repeated. He seemed to bite at the inside of his cheek, in apparent deep thought and looking for an answer that would help solve this problem. Then, as sudden as his deflated state had come about, it was gone and that face splitting grin was back once more.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hikari</span>
  <span> couldn’t say that their brief exchange had let her get well </span>
  <span>acquainted</span>
  <span> with his nature or how he went about things, but she knew a smile that promised trouble for others when she saw one. And there was clearly no smile that was more dangerous than the one Monkey D. Luffy had in his </span>
  <span>arsenal</span>
  <span> because no sooner had it graced his features then he had swiftly snagged a kunai from the fox masked male’s belt and raised it over his head.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Startled beyond belief, her hand snapped out to catch his wrist just in time to stop him from stabbing himself in the back of his hand. She gaped at him, eyes wide at how far he would go for his own curiosity and still, that face splitting remained in place. “Yeah, let’s not do that, okay?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wrestling the kunai from the straw hat boy who obviously still didn’t see anything wrong with what he’d just attempted was much easier said than done, but when she finally did, she passed it onto the orange-haired girl who was busy ranting about his idiocy. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luffy pouted, clearly disgruntled by the fact that his carefully thought out solution to what he deemed to be a problem had been stopped mid-action. “I just wanted to see the cool blue light again.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That cool blue light,” </span>
  <span>Hikari</span>
  <span> repeated his words patiently, making eye contact in a way that she hoped would help get her point across that what she said next was important and needed to be remembered. “Isn’t something that should be abused. It would be very bad if a situation came about that needed it and I wasn’t able to use it, right?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment it seemed like he might protest, the clench to his face sparking memories of the rants </span>
  <span>Konohamaru</span>
  <span> used to go on when his assassination attempts on their grandfather had failed. But then he nodded, apparently pleased with the answer and it wasn’t until he spoke up next that she understood why.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, all I have to do is find someone strong to fight! I’ll kick their ass and then you can use the blue light-”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, no-”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>But he was already chortling in pure delight and wandering past her to tell Nami to find him an island that was both fun and filled with strong opponents. The answer to this demand was another blow to his head and a snappy reminder that she wasn’t his navigator. Neither one of these actions seemed to bother him in the slightest.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, </span>
  <span>Hikari</span>
  <span>!” He called over his shoulder, foot resting on the </span>
  <span>reeling</span>
  <span> of the navigator’s boat, seemingly unaware and unbothered by the now kunai wielding orange-haired female trying to </span>
  <span>prod</span>
  <span> him overboard. “I knew you were supposed to join my crew. This is </span>
  <span>gonna</span>
  <span> be fun!”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Here she was, hoping to ask these </span>
  <span>strangers</span>
  <span> on the sea to help her and the fox masked male figure out where they were and then if they could, help them find their way home and Monkey. D Luffy was clearly not on the same page. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>In his mind, they were here to stay.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Does That Look Like The Mastermind Behind The Akatsuki To You?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hikari Sarutobi couldn’t say she liked maps much. In fact, it was commonly known among her comrades that she had little to no patience for them. Logically, she knew why the skill to read maps was an important one and yet, she had just never taken to it outside of when they were needed for carefully laid out plans in times when it was needed for her to act like a squad leader and strategize. But even then, she would still go as far as to argue that there was a very big difference in using a map for navigation and scanning a map of an area to look for the best possible entry points and ambush locations. </p><p>It was obvious from a single glance at the neatly drawn map laid out on the table before her that Nami fell on the opposite scale. The map itself was drawn in a way that was immersive, the heart and soul that had been poured into its making as clear as day. It was the kind of map that was so incredibly detailed and still managed to give off an almost whimsical air that inspired the need to go off on a spectacular journey.  </p><p>It was little wonder why the Straw Hat captain seemed to ignore every protest and denial in regards to her being his navigator. The girl clearly knew what she was doing and her passion was undeniable. What kind of captain wouldn’t want a navigator that both knew her way around a map and inspired adventure even without trying? </p><p>If only looking at this incredibly detailed map didn’t confirm a suspicion that left a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. They were nowhere near the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Nowhere near the Land of Fire. Nowhere near her home.  </p><p>It was one thing suspecting something that made no sense, it was another thing entirely to have it confirmed and knowing that you had no idea how you ended up in this situation or how to get out of it. </p><p>“Maybe the map is wrong.” Came a remark from beside her as the fox masked male peered down at the map, eyes filled with suspicion. He never did believe anything unless it was in black and white – or covered in blood after a nasty time in interrogation.  </p><p>His remark was the wrong one to make as no sooner had he made it then a growling orange-haired female had rounded on him to give him a deadly glare. Really, it was quite fortunate that looks couldn’t kill. “I drew that! Is there something you’d like to say, pooch?” </p><p>The question was by no means an invitation. In fact, it was very much a warning that a much less crazy individual might have taken. But as things stood, the fox masked male wasn’t quite sane, and apparently, he was as amused by the challenge of the warning as he was by the name she had started calling him in retaliation for the nickname that was already getting on her nerves. </p><p>“It’s nothing, Peaches.” He shrugged as he straightened up to his full height, giving her his full and undivided attention even as he feigned nonchalance in the face of that glare. “I was just wondering if you drew this one after one too many-” </p><p>The smack delivered to his head was one powered by so much rage that it was a wonder it didn’t just split his mask in two and yet, the boy still did nothing but snicker even from his new spot on the floor. He remained there for a second and then he was on his feet again, cooing at the seething girl about how sweet her “love taps” were. </p><p>Hikari spared the masochist a look, mentally making a note to corner him later and pry from him just what he was up to. The normally anti-social boy was behaving strangely. Eager. And if she had to give it a guess, then she would say it all had to do with the pretty navigator who had obviously captured his attention. </p><p>“Shugo.” She sighed, the new name still strange on her tongue as she opted to intervene before he drove the poor girl mad. She was pretty sure he was pouting beneath that mask but he made no move to protest, instead, he silently returned to hovering behind her, his gaze reluctantly returning to the map. </p><p>The navigator slowly resumed her position, brown eyes sweeping from one map to another, looking for an island that seemed like it might be home to a princess. It was a task much easier said than done, especially since there was not even a single hint from either of her new companions that anything seemed familiar. “What about landmarks? Anything that might help distinguish your home from the other islands?” </p><p>“I’m sorry, Nami.” Hikari shook her head, drawing her own gaze away from the map with a defeated sigh. Still, she hesitated for a moment, unable to fight the feeling that if she spoke the words that it would become undeniably true. Even more true than the facts that map all but screamed at her. “But I don’t think our home is on any map.” </p><p>The orange-haired girl blinked, not sure what the Sarutobi Princess was implying. As far as she knew, there were little to no places in the East Blue that weren’t documented. After all, it was the weakest of all the seas and the scattered islands were few. “Maybe you just know it by a different name. Islands can change names all the time if people conquer it or the World Government gets involved. This is the first time you’ve left home, right? So, maybe-” </p><p>“I’ve left my home plenty of times. I’ve walked through deserts. Shuffled through the snow. Climbed mountains and rocky plains. Traveled across the ocean. But still, I always found my way home and this....” The doll-like girl trailed off as her gaze drifted out to the calm ocean waters, eyes filled with an emotion that one couldn’t quite decipher. “This isn’t anywhere near my home.” </p><p>“But you must have some idea where it could be.” Nami persisted and she was barely able to push down the frustration boiling inside her before it threatened to come bursting out. </p><p>It was strange, but when the orange-haired girl had taken the time earlier to give them a rushed explanation of Devil Fruits users during a quick meal before rushing them over to the map, Hikari had thought that maybe the girl was more open to strange and unexplainable. After all, she had ended up the company of rubber-man and two strangers who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. But apparently, she was a bit more on the rational side that was influenced by skepticism and much the like fox masked male, she apparently needed a lot more evidence and convincing before she believed anything. </p><p>Only, if the fox masked male’s recount of how they had come to be on this ship was true, then the navigator already had all the evidence she needed. Something in her clearly didn’t want to believe it. </p><p>“Konoha.” Hikari said simply after a moment of brief silence, watching as the orange-haired girl frowned in obvious confusion at the unfamiliar word. “How about the Five Great Shinobi Nations? The Land of Fire? No? Okay, let’s try Hashirama Senju? Jinchūriki? You don’t know what any of that means, do you?” </p><p>Nami didn’t like where this was going. In fact, she liked it even less than she had when the fox masked male boy had previously run a few similar words past her. She was pretty sure he wasn’t right in the head to begin with, but the doll-like girl before her was looking at her in a way that told her to wake up and smell the coffee. ”I don’t understand what you’re getting at-” </p><p>“Yes, Nami, you do.” Hikari said patiently, silently wondering if she would actually have to utter the words in order for it to sink in. She hoped not. Saying the wasn’t her home felt much simpler and much less alien-like. </p><p>There was a pause like the navigator was trying to process everything and then she was slamming her hands over her ears, face scrunched up in utter horror. “No, no, no. This can’t be...No!” </p><p>The last word spilled from her mouth followed by an anguished cry as she sank to her knees. It was like she had lost all the strength in her legs. Like she had lost the will to keep going. As if something had broken her spirit. Hikari was at her side in a split second, thoroughly alarmed as she knelt beside her and tried to get some kind of response that would tell her what had triggered the girl and in turn alert them to what was wrong. </p><p>“Nami?” Hikari prompted, worry coating her features as frantic brown-green eyes scanned the distressed girl for any sign of what could be wrong. Maybe she pushed her too far. Maybe she did know something about their home and there was some kind of mental strain keeping her from- </p><p>“There can’t be no treasure!” </p><p>Hikari blinked, unsure if she had heard correctly, but then the orange-haired girl wailed the sentence again and she felt her worry shift to an emotion that was much more dry. “Treasure? What treasure?” </p><p>Brown-green flicked up accusingly, silently demanding to know if the fox masked male had promised the navigator treasure in exchange for keeping them onboard and finding a way home. He held up his hands in defense. “Hey, don’t look at me! Her eyes just about popped out of her head when she heard me call you Princess. If anyone was working with a plan here, it was Peaches.” </p><p>“And you didn’t tell her that it’s a title that has to do with my bloodline and nothing else?” She turned back to the navigator, frustration at the misunderstanding boiling away inside her, and found herself pausing as she truly took in the state of the girl. As ridiculous as it seemed to be crying over something as treasure, the girl was undeniably upset. Brown eyes were filled with defeat and rimmed with tears. Hikari had a gnawing feeling that it went much further than just treasure. For whatever reason, the orange-haired girl had put all her hopes on a humongous payment that no one had promised. It was the kind of blind hope people who were beyond desperate and had nothing to lose resorted to. </p><p>“To be fair.” The fox masked male began as bent down beside him, offering a handkerchief to the crying girl. He had never looked more awkward or skittish. “She is an heiress from a prosperous clan and bloodline and she does have a lot...it’s just not in this world.” </p><p>She might have felt awe at the sight of this socially awkward boy who didn’t understand human emotion or know how to provide comfort now trying to do both, but she was far too much concerned for the orange-haired girl to give anything else much thought. Maybe that concern pushed her body to move because without any thought, she had removed the delicate heirloom on her wrist and slid it onto that of the now silent navigator. </p><p>Nami blinked down at silver bracelet now encasing her wrist, silently marveling at the way the blue jewels seemed to sparkle and give off tiny rainbows when she flexed her wrist to get a better look at it. It was beautiful. The kind of thing she’d usually plot to steal and yet her doll-like companion had just casually slid it onto her wrist. “What’s this?” </p><p>“A gift,” Hikari said simply before leaning forward to take orange-haired girl’s hands into her own. She squeezed, hoping that the small gesture could give the girl some comfort, no matter how brief. “It might not be some big treasure...but for a while, it was my treasure, and maybe now it can be yours.” </p><p>Brown-green eyes stared into brown eyes, shimmering with sincerity and warmth and in that one moment, Nami found herself thinking that maybe the Straw Hat idiot in the other boat was right about something for once. </p><p>Maybe Hikari Sarutobi was supposed to cross their path. No matter how brief of a journey they might happen to sail together. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It had taken a while for things to settle down. The reason being that it the fox masked male was a much harder to person to banish down to the smaller boat drifting behind them with the other two males than the orange-haired navigator had thought possible. It had felt as if though they had argued forever before a brief word from the Sarutobi Princess had him nodding and reluctantly heading over to the smaller boat to assist the two males with finding more fish. </p><p>The silence was good. It was a break from all the confusion and chaos and it gave the two females onboard time to clear their heads and gather their thoughts in their own way. Nami had returned to her maps, organizing and pouring over them one at a time, but not before giving the Sarutobi female a cold drink and a book to keep her preoccupied.  It was a fortunate thing that they both appeared to like reading and seemed to have a similar taste in literature. Though, the navigator did suspect that it was more curiosity on the doll-like girl’s part to see if literature between their two worlds were at all different. </p><p>Hikari basked in the sunlight as she curled up on the small sun lounge, soaking up the warm rays and pouring over the story unfolding within the pages of the book in her hand. It was a book she’d never read before by an author she didn’t know, but at least the premises of a good story seemed to be the same no matter what the world.  It was, however, the sight of movement out of the corner of her eyes that brought her out of her book with an annoyed sigh.</p><p>Of course, the boy wouldn’t stay banished for long. </p><p>“She’ll kill you if she finds you up here again.” She all but sang the warning, knowing fully well that was the exact interaction he had come looking for. He was probably as intrigued and confused by his reaction to the orange-haired girl as she was and he probably thought that if stuck close, that he’d figure out the reason why. “But then I suppose you came looking for more love taps in any way.” </p><p>He didn’t answer right away and she suspected that he was probably grinning in mischief behind that mask of his. He settled down at her feet, pocketing his hands in his pants. “This is real, huh? We’re really in a different world?” </p><p>“Seems like it.” She muttered, turning another page and making mental notes to ask the navigator about words and places that stood out. She had already deduced from the text that the monetary system this world operated in was known as Beli. “We better hope that it’s as easy to get back to where we come from as it was to end up here.” </p><p>“But are you sure?” He pushed, clearly wanting her to be sure before he truly considered this situation as otherworldly. “You’ve seen what the Akatsuki are capable of and I’ve heard that their leader is crazy powerful. How do you know that wasn’t him attacking the village and that all this isn’t just his way of keeping you and Naruto separate so he can extract-” </p><p>“I doubt it.” She pursed her lips in a way that implied that she had at the very least considered it. Of course, she had. The Akatsuki had been behind quite a lot of recent pain for her and Naruto and so she’d have been a fool not to consider it. But she sincerely doubted that they had anything to do with the confusion of this world that was infused with confusing energy and not chakra, from what she could tell from their new companions. “It’s one thing to remake a world, it’s another to create an entirely new one with oceans and places that we’ve never even heard about.” </p><p>He turned to her as if throwing his entire being behind the argument to try and make her see sense. “I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do, but you know you can’t drop you guard just because things don’t make sense and this doesn’t <em> feel </em> like home to you. I’m asking you not to trust or accept things so easily. Explain to me why we ended up here. With this group of people. Anyone of them could be the leader of the Akatsuki in disguise-” </p><p>His words died off mid-sentence as he caught sight of something behind her and when her gaze followed suit, it was to find that Luffy had climbed onto the reeling of the boat and was currently invested in an animated argument with a seagull holding a fish in its beak. Poor thing, from what she’d glimpsed before, the captain apparently had no qualms fighting anyone or anything that stole his food. </p><p>Hikari turned back her fox masked companion, lips twitching in amusement as she bestowed on him a look that asked if that looked like the mastermind behind the Akatsuki to him.   </p><p>“Maybe not Luffy.” He allowed, resisting the urge to sigh as the rubber man attempted to dive after the seagull as it moved to fly off, barely catching onto the reeling to keep himself from falling into the sea. Something the navigator had explained to them would be very bad as the sea apparently didn’t like those who ate Devil Fruits. “But the other two-” </p><p>“Are part of the group of people who are going to help us get to the closest island and hopefully from there we can get home.” </p><p>He blinked, thrown by the sudden change in the conversation. “Are you saying you already figured out a way to get us home?" </p><p>“Not quite.” She admitted, turning back to her book and delving back into the story. “But I’m hoping that once we’re on dry land that I’ll be able to summon Katsuyu. If we’re at all lucky, then there might be a way for us to get home through my contract.” </p><p>“And if that doesn’t work? Will you try the cats?” </p><p>“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I don’t want to owe any more favors.” </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Gecko Islands; Home of a Liar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hikari and the Straw Hats bank on the shore of the Gecko Islands where they hope to find supplies, a boat and maybe a way back to Konoha. The Sarutobi heiress is fascinated to meet new people, if only it wasn't a liar and his so called army of eighty million men.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Gecko Islands, as Nami had called their next destination, was  supposed to be a peaceful island where they could stock up on supplies and go about searching for a bigger and better boat that would accommodate them all and still have enough room so they weren’t constantly forced into each other’s company – something that the navigator had made quite clear was very important if they expected her to travel with the Straw Hat captain and swordsman and not throw them overboard. She hadn’t said as much, as she was currently doing her best to ignore his entire existence all together, but one could assume that the same applied to the fox masked male. </p><p>Though they had mentioned that if things went according to plan that at least the Sarutobi heiress and the fox masked male would be out of their hair soon enough, the navigator had seemed even more skeptical about them being able to return to a different world than she was of them coming from one. As such, mentions of possibly returning home seemed to fall on deaf ears. Nami still talked of finding a big enough boat for them all and Luffy, well, the Straw Hat captain didn’t seem to put any weight into words that involved parting for good. </p><p>Tearing her gaze from the large island with its large slope hills and flecks of vibrant green from its forest terrain, Hikari found her lips tilting in amusement at the sight of Nami once again trying to stress to Luffy that it was a peaceful island and that if he wanted a boat to come back to, then he better not go stirring any trouble. She suspected that the rubber-man's demands of finding an island filled with strong opponents had sent the navigator on a quest for an island that was the exact opposite of that though the orange haired girl still apparently feared what trouble he could get into even on an island that was supposedly peaceful. </p><p>“Are there any villages on the island?” Hikari asked as the navigator joined her at her side, the girl’s gaze flitting between the island and the map in search of a particular landmark.  </p><p>The orange haired girl nodded before pointing between the two high slopes on either side of the island, a much smoother and less rocky terrain than the surrounding high cliffs. “There should be a path around there leading to a small one. We really need to get a better ship and equipment if we have any chance of surviving the Grand Line and getting a shot at the treasure there.” </p><p>There was that word again. Treasure. It seemed like a common motivator for the navigator no matter what the plan. Getting to treasure was obviously very important to her and though Hikari couldn’t understand the appeal, she made no move to question it either. Maybe someday, if they had the time, she would understand this kind of motivation, and the navigator in turn, more.  </p><p>Banking on the sandy beach was much easier said than done, especially since the Straw Hat captain apparently didn’t take too well to orders or have much knowledge about boats to begin with and his swordsman was even less help, seemingly content to just nap away the day until either food, drink or a fight came about that would motivate him to stir. It was a lucky thing that Nami had quite the strong, insistent personality and that the fox masked male apparently like it, because he was eager to fall in line. </p><p>“So there really is a mainland!” Luffy mused, blinking curiously at the sandy dirt path leading up the slope as the fox masked male helped both attempted to help both females onto dry land. Attempted being the key word as Nami had shoved past his extended hand with a haughty huff. “Who would have thought.” </p><p>The navigator’s annoyed twitch was instant and she rounded on the Straw Hat captain to point out that they’d just been following the map, a one-sided squabble really as the captain didn’t seem to even note that he had once again irked the orange haired female.  </p><p>Tuning them out, Hikari turned her face to bask in the warm rays of the sun, taking a moment to center herself on the island and settle on the first dry land they had set foot on since coming to this world. With her eyes closed she could really appreciate the cold, soothing breeze carrying the taste and smell of the ocean and sandy terrain. The music of the ocean waves crashing against the shore and sound of the leaves rustling while seagulls squawked above was beautiful – albeit commanding enough to even drone out what faintly sounded like Nami giving Luffy yet another warning about avoiding trouble. Even the very feel of the coarse sand denting underneath her feet was a centering gesture that assured her they were here and that this was very much real.   It was, strangely enough, an almost intoxicating moment as she basked in the nature and all it had to offer. </p><p>Satisfied, her eyes fluttered open, taking a moment to adjust to the bright daylight once more. She turned, ready to ask the navigator if they could start moving, when her gaze caught movement at the top of the hill. There she found four curious faces peering down at them from behind a fallen tree trunk. If it was a hiding spot, then it was a bad one and the kind she had gotten used to due to her brother’s assassination phase. It was, however, still a blink worthy sight. Apparently, there were more people than just her little brother who lacked at being stealthy.  </p><p>“Yeah, I’ve been wondering who they are.” Zoro mused, half managing to suppress a yawn as he joined her at her side. His gaze drifted over the four heads almost dismissively before glancing down at the doll-like girl at his side, noting the obvious curiosity sparkling in her eyes at the sight of the first strangers outside of their little crew. “You wanna talk to them or something-” </p><p>Maybe the wind had carried his words or maybe it was just the plain and simple fact that by now everyone on the beach was gazing up at the badly hidden newcomers, but in a flash four heads became one as three little ones popped up and scurried away, much to the horror of their older and now abandoned companion.  </p><p>If there was ever a visual representation of what it meant to be frozen in a mix of confusion and fear, then the boy now rooted in his tracks, as stiff as stone, on top of the hill was as good as any. To his credit though, he seemed to snap out of it in no time and then he was puffing up his chest and sauntering down to pose on a boulder with his arms across his chest, as if he hadn’t just moments ago been crying after a trio of children not to dessert him. Blatantly obvious fake bravado or not, it was a spectacle worthy of appreciation and it might have stayed as such had he not opened his mouth immediately afterwards to spew nonsense.  </p><p>“I am the great Captain Usopp, captain of a huge pirate fleet and leader of this village! Surely you know that plotting an attack on this island would mean certain death. My army of eighty million super mean pirate soldiers would squash you like bugs!” </p><p>Hikari couldn’t have hidden her unimpressed look even if she tried, not even as Luffy bounded past her with stars in his eyes at the blatantly obvious lie. Her senses might have been all over the place and sensing chakra signatures in a world that apparently didn’t work around it wasn’t coming as easy as she was used to, but she was pretty sure that the entire island didn’t have eighty million inhabitants much less eighty million pirates skulking around one small village. And she strongly doubted any of them knew how to go about producing clones, much less Shadow Clones.</p><p>What he did have, however, was a trio of young souls who had seemingly grown enough courage in order to scurry back and raise pirate flags tied to branches, even if was being done from a hiding spot inside a bush. Whoever these little children were to him, she sincerely doubted they had undergone the kind of rough training that Shinobi children their age were expected to undergo and as such they wouldn’t be much back-up either. Not that she expected that they’d stick around if things did somehow go south. </p><p>“Eighty million?” Hikari echoed and his head snapped down to blink at her, uncertainty flashing across his features when it became obvious that she hadn’t uttered it in awe. “You might be bad at math. Let’s try this again. Go for a more realistic number this time.” </p><p>The boy blinked, seemingly unsure about whether or not she was really helping him out. “Ten mil-” </p><p>The Sarutobi heiress tutted. “I said believable.” </p><p>“Don’t humor him, Hikari. Just call him what he is,” Nami grumbled as she folded her arms and turned her head away from the boy with a haughty huff. “A liar.” </p><p>The boy balked under the harshness of the blunt statement, lost his footing and then came tumbling down the rest of the way until he landed face first in the sand before them. If his previous display, or attempt at one for that matter, had been slightly impressive than this one was nothing short of pitiful. </p><p>The boy spluttered, desperately trying to rid his tongue of the harsh sand grains, that he’d taken a mouth full of in the midst of his tumble, even as he glared at Luffy who was having a good belly laugh about what a funny guy he was. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that slapstick comedy, intentional or not, was the kind of thing that the Straw Hat captain found to be humorous.  </p><p>Now up and close, Hikari could see that the boy wasn’t as young as she might have guessed with the company he kept. Though he lied like a child who told grand and obviously exaggerated tales, he was certainly no child. In fact, if she had to guess, she’d say that, much like Luffy, he was probably close in age to her. He was probably a year or so her senior, though up close he certainly looked much older than he obviously was.  </p><p>He was slim with tanned skin and medium-length black woolly hair pulled away from his face with an olive-green plaid bandanna. He was also clad in brown overalls, that complimented the tone of his skin, with a white sash, no shirt and carried with him a yellow satchel that just about bulged with content. It was, however, his long nose that was the most prominent feature and had Naruto been here to meet him, it would certainly have been the feature that would have earned him a forever nickname. </p><p>Then, with pride that shouldn’t have been so easily conjured considering he had just seconds ago been trying desperately to rid his mouth of sand, the long nosed boy shot to his feet once more and angrily jammed his thumb against his chest. “Don’t you dare laugh at me! Your evil witches might have seen through my lie, but I am an extremely proud man. I’ve got so much pride they call me <em> Usopp </em> <em>  The Proud.  </em>And I might not have eighty million of them, but I do have great warriors under my command!” </p><p>“Really?” The fox masked male asked, casually strolling closer and twirling a kunai around his finger as he went. The sharp point of the weapon glinted in the sunlight making the long-nosed boy visibly stiffen. “Should we have a little brawl? Now that you mention it, a fight could be fun! You and your warriors must have been lonely here on this island. Come on, what do you say? You must have loads of weapons in that satchel of yours...Cause I sure do have in mine.” </p><p>The fox masked male halted before the long nosed boy, masked face tilting in way that was as curious as it was taunting as his hand hovered above his own satchel, always ready for a fight. Barely even a second later, the pirate flags went flying and three figures went crashing through the bushes, kicking up dust and sand in their hurry to get away. If they felt bad for abandoning their so-called captain for a second time in but mere moments, they certainly didn’t show it. In fact, they never so much as turned around. Then again, who could blame them? One didn’t stick around when faced with a predator who seemed more than eager to strike. </p><p>The fox masked male watched the three children go, snickering to himself as he turned away from a now deathly pale Usopp and pocketed the kunai once more. “Yeah, what great little warriors you have there. They must take after their captain, right?” </p><p>It was only when the masked male had returned to his spot behind Hikari, but still close enough to pester the navigator if the need should arise, that the long nosed boy mustered enough courage to vent his anger. But not to the fox masked male. No, instead he had chosen to round on Luffy who was still cackling in delight about the funny and interesting people around him. </p><p>“Stop laughing at me!” The demand was soon followed up with a threat as the long nosed boy shoved his hand into his satchel and produced a slingshot that he promptly aimed directly at Luffy’s face. “My slingshot skills are legendary. Far greater than your average pistol!” </p><p>The Sarutobi heiress almost hadn’t thought it possible, but somehow, the ever-present grin that just about split the childlike captain’s face in two, fell away and left behind in its place a dark and expressionless face that shouldn’t have made her perk up in interest and yet it did.  </p><p>So he <em> could </em> make expressions like that. </p><p>“Now that you've drawn your pistol, are you willing to use it?” Gone was the usual mirth and wonder that she had begun to suspect was embedded in his tone and in its place was a darker note that had Usopp taking a step back, obviously uneasy by the sudden change. “Pistols aren’t for treats, they’re for action. Are you willing to risk your life?” </p><p>Zoro, who had been silently studying that very sudden change in his Captain with great interest, gave a quiet chuckle and sidled up beside the Straw Hat male before casually running a thumb over one of his katana hilts. A small action but one that immediately drew Usopp’s eye nonetheless. “I can assure you, we’re real pirates. Consider your next movie very carefully.” </p><p>The swordsman never uttered it aloud but the <em> because it might be your last  </em>was very much implied and it hung in the air like an ax waiting to drop. </p><p>It would have been understandable if Usopp had balked from not just those words but the dark gazes now pinned on him. One could be pretty sure that even the bravest of men might have hesitated at this spectacle that could very much be likened to predators toying with their prey and reminding it of its place in the world. And to his credit, the long nosed boy lasted much longer underneath those glares than some might think, even as the blood slowly drained from his face. But crumble he did and he did so with a pitiful wale that was filled with whining in the face of surrender. </p><p>“Real pirates really have a lot more punch behind their words cause they can actually back them up.” Usopp sniffled as he collapsed to his knees, head bowing in shame in the face of what he now dubbed real pirates. “That’s so cool.” </p><p>And maybe it would have remained cool if the Straw Hat captain and his swordsman had continued on with this intimidating facade. Instead, the two exchanged a glance and bursts out into a round of hearty and delighted laughter as soon as their gazes met.  </p><p>It was like a balloon had popped and in doing so had released all that pure hearted delight because as soon as it had appeared, gone was the dark aura and its place was the childlike captain who was clearly filled with glee. “I stole that! I stole those words from Red Haired Shanks, a pirate that I know.” </p><p>“What?” Usopp’s eyes widened, a look of pure and astonishing amazement seeping into his features. “You know Red Haired Shanks? You really are a pirate! Wait, no way. You gotta be lying!...Do you really know him?” </p><p>Judging from the way the long nosed boy was stumbling over his words and desperately trying to wrap his head around this new information, whoever this Red Haired Shanks person was they were no small name in this new world. It shouldn’t, however, have been surprising that someone like Luffy took knowing someone that well known as something that was obviously normal. He didn’t boast as others in his position might have. Instead, to him it was simple fact.  </p><p>“Sure do.” Luffy grinned from ear to ear, excitedly peering down at the long nosed boy. “I know your dad too! He’s Yasopp, right?” </p><p>His amazement to hearing that the Straw Hat wearing boy knew Red Haired Shanks compared nothing to the slack jawed wonder that bursts through Usopp and this time it was his turn to stare at Luffy with stars in his eye. “You’re right. My old man’s name <em> is  </em>Yasopp. But how...How in the world do you know him?” </p><p>Who knew what Usopp had expected to achieve when he chose to attempt frightening pirates with tales of eighty million subordinates. But one thing was for certain, the mere mention of his father had made him forget about all his fear and all his plotting. So much so that moments later he was strolling up the path, arm-in-arm with Luffy and Zoro and promising to lead them to the best meat and sake in the village in exchange for stories about his father. </p><p>Nami watched them go, muttering under her breath about how it was just her luck that Luffy had picked up another strange companion and hoping aloud that at least this one wouldn’t follow them, when Hikari suddenly turned to her and gestured to the map still in her hand. </p><p>“Hey, Nami, any natural landmarks around here? A waterfall maybe?” </p><p>The navigator frowned, thrown by the question even as she glanced down at the map and scanned it for what the Sarutobi heiress was looking for. “Uh, yeah...But, why?” </p><p>“Because I still have no idea how using a large amount of chakra would work out in this world and so if I’m going to pull off what I hope to accomplish without causing us or this island damage, then I’m going to need a whole lot of energy. The Nature kind.” </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello, Sweethearts!<br/>Lately, these have been extra troubling times and as I found myself at home, doing my part to keep to my country's lockdown regulations and practice self-isolation, I also found myself keeping busy by rewatching anime like Naruto and One Piece and falling in love with their magic all over again. And after a long time, I've finally mustered the courage and new inspiration to see what the wonderful world of One Piece could offer in terms of adventure for an OC that I've come to hold very dear.<br/>Everyone, let's hold on tight. This is going to be an adventure and a grand one at that.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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